Wally Shackelford

Services for George ‘Wally’ Shackelford, 79, of Paradise, Texas will be 2:00 pm Monday, July 19, 2021 at Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home in Bridgeport, Texas, officiated by Pastor Bill Hughes. Burial will follow at Paradise Cemetery. Visitation will be 1:00 pm Monday, one hour prior to the service, also at the funeral home. Wally passed away Monday, July 12 at home.

He was born October 11, 1941 in Fort Worth, Texas to parents O’Dell Dalton Shackelford and Evelyn Kathleen (Moore) Shackelford.

He met his wife Sammie Frannelle Wilson at Woods Chapel Baptist Church Dalworthington Gardens just outside of Arlington in 1957. The couple wed March 2, 1963 at the same church, and were married for 58 years.

After graduating from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas in 1963, he began his teaching career as a seventh grade Texas History educator and assistant principal in 1964 at Ferguson High School in Arlington, Texas. He also taught in Cleburne as a Social Studies teacher in the early 70s. The family moved to Paradise in 1981 where Wally taught sixth grade for one year. He traded his teacher position for one in administration, and he served as the principal at Paradise Elementary School for more than a decade, until his retirement in the mid-90s. Regardless of his position at Paradise ISD Wally’s love for the kids was unparalleled. He will be greatly missed.

Wally is survived by his wife Sammie Shackelford of Paradise; son Jason Shackelford and wife Stephanie of Midlothian, Texas; daughter Misty Tierney and husband Kevin of Vernon, New York; brother Larry Shackelford and wife Bunny of Fort Worth, Texas; grandchildren Dalton McCord, Myles Tierney, M’Kayla Tierney, Aiden ‘AJ’ Shackelford, and Parker Shackelford; and numerous other family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and son LeDell Shackelford, who passed away July 27, 2014.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate.

© (Hudson & Torres Family Funeral Home)

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